- Diamond jewellery and gourmet food most popular, with sales boosted by livestreaming
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 38th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, the 8th HKTDC Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show and the inaugural Simply Shopping Fest have all concluded successfully. The three public shows attracted more than 80,000 visitors appreciating and purchasing fine jewellery pieces, in addition to buying gourmet food and wine and household items. The concurrent events featured livestreaming sessions hosted by key opinion leaders (KOLs), offering more opportunities for exhibitors to showcase their products as well as creating a more engaging experience – covering shopping, leisure and entertainment – for the general public. The broadcasts received an enthusiastic response.
HKTDC Acting Executive Director Sophia Chong said: “The two jewellery shows were open to the public this year, bringing local retail opportunities for exhibitors. We promoted an online-to-offline (O2O) shopping model through the KOL livestreaming sessions, with engaging sales techniques helping exhibitors to further promote their products. Following the encouraging feedback received, we will continue reinforcing cross-channel marketing to help exhibitors increase brand awareness, reach out to a wider customer base and grow their business.”
Jewellery exhibitors acquiring new customers
J Ocean Pearl Jewellery Limited Director Jackie Leung and Marketing Director Lila Wong said their sales at the Jewellery Show were satisfactory, helped by using social media promotions to further extend their reach to new customer segments. “The KOL livestreaming session at our booth was an interesting way to interact with viewers, opening up new business opportunities and attracting more customers,” they said.
Yvonne Pong, Director of Wing Hang South Sea Pearl Company Limited, shared that a new customer purchased a golden pearl necklace priced at more than HK$200,000. “Our sales have been encouraging. The shows attract many quality consumers with strong purchasing power,” Ms Pong said.
Another exhibitor, Jignesh Donda, Director, Sheetal (Far East) Limited, said: “We showcased a variety of exquisite diamonds at the show, primarily focused on 0.30 to 0.50 carat diamonds, to cater to the preferences of local customers. The new Exhibition Centre MTR station makes it more convenient for exhibitors and visitors to get to the fairground. We’ve received a number of enquiries from customers and believe we will meet more new customers here.”
Talented local jewellery designers gathered at the shows
As one of the highlight events this year, the 23rd Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition continues to provide a platform for local talents to showcase their creative flair and to identify budding designers. The winning pieces were displayed at the twin jewellery shows.
The shows also provided a precious opportunity for young designers to interact with the public, while showcasing their creative talents and jewellery designs.
Fanny Yu, Group Project Director of Loupe, noted: “Loupe is a design incubation space founded by Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group to nurture Hong Kong’s young talents in jewellery-making and design. This is the first time we have participated in the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show. Around 20 young jewellery designers are with us here. Through this opportunity, they have acquired a deeper understanding of local consumers’ needs. This will definitely help their career development.”
The HKTDC surveyed more than 1,000 exhibitors and visitors during the twin jewellery shows. The results showed that the most popular purchases were diamond jewellery, followed by gemstone jewellery and jade jewellery. Close to 40% of surveyed visitors said they had spent at least HK$1,000 more at the fairs in anticipation of a new round of consumption vouchers by the government. Around 33% of visitors said they had spent more than HK$10,000 at the jewellery shows.
Food and health products top sellers at Simply Shopping Fest
The debut Simply Shopping Fest showed its effectiveness as a channel for exhibitors to sell products to the general public. HKTDC’s survey conducted at Simply Shopping Fest reflected that gourmet food and wine were the most purchased types of product, followed by home and living goods and health and beauty items. Survey respondents said that product variety, product price and discount offers were the most attractive aspects of the shopping fair.
Gary Ching, Founder & Watchmaker, Anpassa Watch Company, Hong Kong said: “We are participating in the debut Simply Shopping Fest to let more people know about our local brand “Anpassa” along with our customised and personalised watchmaking service. We estimate that on-site sales will be around HK$100,000. Benefitting from the Government’s Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) from different sectors are able to participate in this fair at discounted exhibition fees, bringing a greater variety of products to consumers.”
Livestreaming generated more business opportunities for exhibitors
The HKTDC collaborated with livestreaming platforms to present multiple livestreaming sessions at the three events, helmed by KOLs who promoted exhibitors’ products and interacted with the audience.
Exhibitor Kenneth Au, Co-founder and Director at Life Is For Excellence Limited, said: “The KOLs explain the features of our healthy foods to customers in an interactive and persuasive way. Customers buy our products via the livestreaming platform and pick them up at the fairground. This O2O shopping model has helped us increase our exposure, enrich our customers’ experience and generate more sales turnover.” Meanwhile, Jackel Lee, Owner of Nubiotic International (HK) Limited, said orders generated from the livestreaming sessions accounted for 10% of the company’s turnover at the fair.
Numerous exciting events were held during the three fairs, including smart bidding sessions where shoppers bid on popular items starting at 10% of the retail price. Other well-received events organised at the jewellery shows include Jewellery Parade Series, Tahitian Pearl Stylish Bracelet Workshop and Handmade Rose Earrings Workshop as well as sharing sessions on “Diamond, Arts and Science” and “Making Unique Jewellery: The Tradition and Future of Craftsmanship”.
At the Simply Shopping Fest, events such as the Hong Kong Tasting Trendies Sake Awards 2022, Cooking with Chef Kitty, Oppa’s Cuisine – Food and Wine Pairing, Chinese calligraphy appreciation, Chinese medicine and ketogenic diet sharing sessions were popular among visitors.
Food Expo and three concurrent shows coming up in mid-August
Following on the heels of these three exhibitions, the HKTDC will organise a series of public fairs in the summer, including the Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo (all 11 to 15 August), and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair (11 to 13 August). These events will provide the public with a unique one-stop shopping experience, while helping companies expand their local retail market and provide a boost to Hong Kong’s economy.
Websites
– Hong Kong International Jewellery Show: https://hkjewelleryshow.hktdc.com
– Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show: https://hkdgp.hktdc.com
– Simply Shopping Fest: https://ssf.hktdc.com/en
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3Q6NpbQ
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Media enquiries:
Please contact HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org